1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to mechanical latches such as are found on cabinets and doors and, more particularly, to latches that increase safety by hampering use by those who lack a certain level of mental acuity.
There are numerous instances when it is desirable to impede access to certain areas. For example, it is desirable to prevent infants from accessing closets that contain toxic substances, such as potent cleansers and the like.
It is also desirable to be able to prevent toddlers and young children from opening certain doors that provide access into potentially dangerous areas. For example, it is desirable to prevent toddlers at a preschool from gaining access into a utility room that has dangerous power tools nearby or from opening a back door that leads off premises and onto a street.
The same applies to developmentally delayed individuals or the very aged who may be afflicted with any disease process that affects mental acuity such as Alzheimer's patients, for example.
While desirable to impede access to certain individuals, it is conversely desirable to permit ready access to these areas by people whom are deemed competent to do so.
This is not an issue of high security that the present invention addresses. Rather, what is needed is a method and an apparatus that permits entry into an area, where desired, by reasonably competent people who by their physical ability have a presumption of authority to do so and which impedes access to those who, by reason of their young age or lack of mental acuity, do not share that same physical ability and therefore, are presumed to not partake of the same presumption of authority.
Childproof safety latches are known that impede access by infants and smaller children into certain areas, such as kitchen cabinets that contain poisonous substances. A problem with such safety latches is that, while effective at preventing access by children, they also significantly impede access by adults. Furthermore, even adults with substantial mental infirmities are still able to perform the acts necessary to open certain of these safety latches.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a method and apparatus for releasing a latch with two simultaneous non-parallel motions that permits operation by those possessed of a minimum baseline level of physical ability that correlates with their mental acuity.
Clearly, such a method and an apparatus would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Safety latches are, in general, known. While the structural arrangements of the known devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.